You Are Not Alone
by Kythe42
Summary: Henry witnesses a fatal hit and run accident. When the victim revives and shows signs of rapid healing, he suspects that they may have quite a bit in common.


Henry witnesses a fatal hit and run accident. When the victim revives and shows signs of rapid healing, he suspects that they may have quite a bit in common.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I'm merely borrowing them for my own amusement.

Warnings: Some adult themes and innuendo. This story is definitely gen, but there's some unrequited M/M flirting. Very brief temporary character death.

Spoilers: There's one minor reference to some dialog near the end of the first season of Forever. There are general spoilers for Torchwood and the Doctor Who episodes involving Jack Harkness.

Author's Notes: This story was written for the Forever Crossover Ficathon event. Thanks to maxisthenewalex for the wonderful beta work! This story takes place several months before the first episode of Forever. It also takes place after the events of Torchwood: Miracle Day chronologically, but for the purposes of this story, those events never took place.

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Jack found himself wondering for the tenth time why he had returned to Earth as he walked down Stanton Street in New York City. It seemed that all he'd done every night was wander the streets aimlessly in whatever city he happened to be in until he found a bar that looked promising. He'd then hit on whatever attractive people he happened to find there until he could convince one of them to spend the night with him. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It's just that there were plenty of more exciting places than Earth to be doing it on. He wasn't sure what drew him here. There was this sense that he was supposed to be here, but he had no idea why. It wasn't like this was his home planet or anything. Maybe it was just because he missed The Doctor and he knew that The Doctor had a special interest in this planet, so there was a higher chance of running into him here.

His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a rather attractive man exiting an antiques shop on the corner of Suffolk Street. He was just under six feet, slender and fair-skinned, with gently-curling dark brown hair, wearing an expensive looking, but old-fashioned, suit. He grinned to himself, thinking that perhaps he wouldn't have to go to a bar to find his companion for the evening. He started to follow the man at a leisurely pace. The man stopped in his tracks briefly and pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. Jack stopped walking as well and peered at the man thoughtfully. Not many people still used pocket watches in this time period, and it certainly made the man stand out. He wondered if this could possibly be The Doctor with a new face. He knew it wasn't likely, but he still had to talk to him to be sure.

The man started walking again while he was lost in his thoughts and had crossed the street. Without thinking, Jack ran out into the street to catch up, not wanting to lose him. It was no wonder that he didn't see the car coming. He cried out in surprise and pain as the large SUV hit him. He went flying and landed hard, half on the sidewalk, about ten feet from the man he was pursuing. He heard the crunch of multiple bones breaking before he felt the pain. Then everything went black.

Henry heard a loud thud and turned around just in time to see a man thrown onto the sidewalk. The SUV sped off into the night, and Henry wasn't able to make out the license plate. He ran over to the fallen man and managed to get him completely up on the sidewalk to prevent further injury. There was no one else close by, and he was starting to regret his stubbornness at refusing to carry a mobile phone as he checked for a pulse. He couldn't find one, and the man wasn't breathing either.

Henry began to perform CPR, alternating between chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation. After several minutes, he knew that he would be unable to revive the man. He stood up and pulled out his pocket watch to check the time of death. Just as he was about to open the watch, he heard a sharp gasp of breath from the man on the ground. He looked down and saw that the man had opened his eyes.

"Don't try to move," Henry said, dropping to a crouch next to the man. "You were hit by a car, and you're very badly injured. I'm a doctor, and I'm going to help you."

Jack frowned for a moment. The man didn't seem to recognize him, and he identified himself as 'a doctor' rather than 'The Doctor'. It was just some random guy then. He had a really great accent, though. He struggled to try to sit up, but the doctor gently pushed him back down.

"Just lie still. I'm going to go find a phone and call an ambulance for you."

"No, don't do that!" Jack blurted out more harshly than he'd intended. He took a breath and continued in a more calm voice. "I'll be fine in a few minutes." He could already feel the pain receding as his wounds began to heal.

"I don't think you seem to realize how badly hurt you are. You must be in shock," said Henry with a sad shake of his head. "And no wonder. You were dead. I performed CPR for several minutes to no effect. Then after I'd given up, you somehow revived on your own," he explained. "You're very lucky to be alive."

Jack couldn't help but smirk. "CPR huh? Did you perform mouth to mouth?"

"Of course," Henry answered in a cautious tone, seeing the expression on the man's face.

Jack's smirk turned into a wide grin. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time my lips have touched someone else's without even knowing their name. It's a shame I wasn't awake for it."

Henry narrowed his eyes and frowned. Was this man seriously trying to flirt with him after he'd just been hit by a car? "Dr. Henry Morgan at your service," he introduced himself and held out his hand.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack replied, flashing Henry another grin. He shook Henry's hand, using the grip to pull himself up into a sitting position. "It certainly is a pleasure to meet you," he said with emphasis on the word 'pleasure'.

Henry sighed. Under other circumstances he might be flattered at Jack's attentions, but he was in full doctor mode now, and he wondered if the man might be brain damaged. "Please lie back down and let me call you an ambulance," he implored.

"I told you I'll be fine. I tend to bounce back pretty quickly." Jack noticed that the look Henry was giving him had changed from one of concern to confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"There was a small cut on your forehead. It just disappeared right in front of my eyes," Henry explained. He wondered for a moment if Jack might have a condition similar to his own, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He hadn't slept well the night before, and he was likely just imagining things.

"Yeah, that happens," Jack said, his grin only faltering slightly. Why bother to deny it? He could always Retcon Henry later.

Henry nodded slowly in understanding. So he hadn't been imagining it. "I see. And that's why you don't want me to call an ambulance?" Jack nodded at him, his expression suddenly serious with a hint of fear. "It's alright. I understand, and I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," Jack said, feeling himself relax. He didn't know why, but he instinctively trusted Henry.

"Can you walk? I realize that you'll likely make a full recovery on your own, but for my own peace of mind, I'd like to take you back to my place and look you over." The mischievous grin was back on Jack's face, and Henry couldn't help but chuckle this time. "That was not a proposition. I really do just want to make sure you're alright."

Jack's grin softened into a warm smile. "I really appreciate the concern, Doc, but I promise you I'll be fine. I've been through this countless times. Though, it might be nice to rest somewhere more comfortable while I heal."

With Henry's help, he attempted to stand up, but a sharp pain in his leg caused him to stumble and cling to Henry to stop himself from falling. "My left leg is still pretty bad."

"I live close by above that shop there," Henry said, pointing in the direction of the antiques shop. "I think we'll be able to make it if you lean on me."

It was the same shop that Jack had seen Henry come out of, and it wasn't too far. He was pretty sure he could make it, and he certainly wasn't going to complain about getting to lean all over the attractive doctor on the way there. "Lead on, Doctor."

Jack sighed sadly, realizing he said that last sentence in the same tone as he would when addressing The Doctor. He really did miss traveling with him in the Tardis, and it hurt that The Doctor could never stand to be around him for very long. While The Doctor wasn't immortal in the same way that he was, he was probably the only being in the universe that understood his pain.

Henry managed to get Jack back to the shop without too much trouble. By the time they reached the shop entrance, he could tell that Jack's leg was improving. Henry sensed that Jack might even be able to walk on his own at this point, but Jack seemed to have no interest in letting go of him. He wasn't sure if it was just his overly flirtatious manner, or if the man was in genuine need of comfort, but he was willing to support Jack until he got him upstairs to a couch.

Abe looked up from the ledger he was reading at his desk and asked what had happened.

"This man has had a bad fall. I offered to give him a once over and let him rest here for awhile," Henry explained to his son, not wanting to reveal the truth about Jack without his permission.

"Isn't your friend going to get suspicious once I leave here fully recovered?" Jack asked after Henry had gotten him up the stairs and settled on the living room couch.

Henry shrugged and gave Jack a wry grin. "He's my son. I'm sure he'll understand."

Jack blinked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "That old man is your son?"

"Indeed. I think you'll find, Captain Harkness, that we have quite a bit in common."

Jack swallowed hard, barely able to process what he was hearing. Could it be that he had actually found another immortal? "I have a daughter myself. She's not as old as your son. Right now she looks like she could be my sister."

Henry nodded. "I remember when things were like that with myself and Abe. It's much harder once your children look old enough to be your parents. Though, not as difficult as it was when it happened with my wife." He took a deep breath to calm himself from the painful emotions that were stirred up.

Jack only nodded in reply. He really didn't want to think too much about his daughter. That only led to thoughts about his grandson, and now was not the time to get wrapped up in his guilt.

"Judging by your progress, I'd say you'll be fully healed in no time, but would you mind if I examined you anyway?" Henry asked. "I'll admit to being curious since my own immortality doesn't work in quite the same way yours does."

"Knock yourself out, Doc. Just let me know when you want me to turn my head and cough," Jack answered with a playful smirk. This would be a welcome distraction from his dark thoughts.

Henry just shook his head and rolled his eyes. He didn't do much more than lift up Jack's shirt to examine his torso and rolled up one leg of his pants to examine the lingering injury there. There wasn't much left besides some bruising and swelling, and that was slowly fading before his eyes. "This is really most remarkable," he said awestruck, taking a seat beside Jack on the couch.

"So, how does it work for you?"

"Well, if I'm ill or injured, I have to heal normally just like everyone else. If I die, then my body disappears and I reappear fully healed and naked in the nearest large body of water," Henry explained.

"Naked huh? I don't suppose I could get a demonstration?"

Henry couldn't help laughing in spite of himself. "You really are incorrigible aren't you?"

"You have no idea," Jack replied with an enthusiastic nod.

"Well, in all seriousness, I'd really rather not. I still feel pain, and I'd prefer not to risk arrest for indecent exposure."

"That happens a lot does it?"

Henry nodded. "More often than I'd like."

"How old are you?" Jack asked, opting to be more serious for the moment. He still couldn't believe he'd found someone else like him, and he genuinely wanted to get to know Henry.

"I'm 234 years old," Henry answered. "And yourself?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm definitely a lot older than you are."

"Well, what year were you born? It should be easy to figure out from there."

Jack shook his head. "It's not as simple as all that. I was born in the 51st century. It's not easy to keep track of your personal timeline when traveling through space and time."

Henry opened and closed his mouth a few times before he regained the ability to speak. "What a day this has been. Not only do I find out that I'm not the only immortal in existence, but time travel is real too?"

Jack laughed. "The time travel is as real as I am. While I might not know my exact age, I do know that I'm more than 2000 years old. Unfortunately, most of that time was spent buried alive."

Henry's eyes widened. He couldn't even fathom living for that long. Then his mouth dropped open as the implications of Jack's last sentence sunk in. "Good lord... You poor man," he said in a hushed tone, echoing the words that Abigail had said to him so long ago.

Jack shrugged off Henry's sympathy. "It was a long time ago. Though, your teleporting naked to water trick would have been really useful at the time."

"It can pose some of the same risks, though, if the water source is frozen over," Henry replied with a grimace, recalling the month he'd once spent trapped underwater in a frozen lake until there was enough of a thaw for him to escape.

"I think I'd prefer that risk. As horrible as repeatedly drowning in freezing water sounds, at least I'd probably be trapped for a much shorter time than 2000 years, barring some sort of ice age."

Henry nodded. "Fair enough. So were you born immortal, or did something cause it?"

"I was killed defending a satellite from the Daleks. A friend revived me using vortex energy from the heart of a Tardis, but she overdid it," Jack explained.

Henry stared at Jack blankly for a few moments. "Who are the Daleks, and what's a Tardis?"

"The Daleks are killing machines. Hope that you'll never need to know any more than that. A Tardis is a type of time-traveling spaceship." Henry nodded at him, not looking like he fully understood, but that was ok. "What about you?"

"I'm afraid the circumstances of my immortality are rather more mysterious. I was the doctor on a slave ship. There was an ill slave that the captain wanted to throw overboard. I attempted to prevent this, and I was shot and thrown overboard for my trouble. I died that night, and I have no idea what happened, but ever since..." Henry trailed off, waving his hand in a gesture to indicate that Jack already knew the rest. "I've spent my life studying my condition, trying to figure out why it happened, how it works, and if there's a cure. It's why I eventually became a medical examiner, so I could study death."

Jack burst out laughing. "A medical examiner who can't die? That's just too perfect!"

"I'm glad you appreciate the irony," said Henry giving him a wry grin.

"I wish I could help you out, but I guess I can't offer much insight since my immortality is different from yours," said Jack apologetically. "Maybe someday you'll find someone else who has the same kind of immortality as you do."

"That would be nice, but for now, I'm grateful just to have met you," Henry replied with a sincere smile.

"I'm glad I met you, too. Hey, why don't we go get dinner somewhere and get to know each other better. Or we could just go back to my hotel room," said Jack with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "They've got room service."

Henry shook his head and gave Jack and indulgent smile. "I'm really very flattered, but-"

"I know. I know. It's ok. I get it," Jack cut him off. "You're not into men. Though, really, forever is a long time to never try it with a man."

Henry rolled his eyes. "I've been with men before, thank you. It's just that I'm still not completely over my wife leaving me. As much as I love the idea of being in a relationship with someone who I won't outlive, I'm afraid I'm just not ready to move on yet," he explained.

Jack nodded. He knew all too well the pain of lovers leaving or dying on him. "I understand. Maybe someday, though?"

Henry smiled. "Yes, maybe someday. For now, Jack, I really would like it if we could be friends."

"I'd like that too, Henry."

"Why don't you stay for dinner? Abe should be up soon to get started on it, and he's an excellent cook." Henry sincerely hoped that Jack would accept his invitation. He really did want to get to know the man better, even if he wasn't interested in pursuing a romantic relationship at this time. "When's the last time you had a good home-cooked meal?"

"Far too long," Jack admitted.

"It's settled then," said Henry, not intending to take no for an answer. "Perhaps we could exchange some stories while we wait. I'm sure my life must be rather dull compared to yours, but I would love to hear of your travels."

Jack chuckled. "Henry, anyone who is forced to skinny dip on a fairly regular basis because they just died could hardly be considered to lead a dull life." Jack then proceeded to regale Henry with a story of one of his adventures with The Doctor. He knew it must sound like science-fiction based on the expressions on Henry's face, but he knew Henry would realize the truth of such things someday after he left the planet for the first time.

The pair of immortals continued talking until the early hours of the morning, both more grateful than words could say to know that they weren't alone anymore.

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I hope you all enjoyed the story. I do have an idea for a sequel, but I may not get to it for quite some time.


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